Chapter 90: Capturing the "Snake" (Final Part) |
One step away.
The final second.
Four.
Thump.
Accompanied by a spray of snow mist erupting in his vision, the rapidly approaching figure instantly vanished from sight.
Zhang Shutong heard a muffled groan from the girl in the snow pit. Her voice was clear and lacking much emotion, yet now carried a hint of pain.
Zhang Shutong didn't rashly approach. Instead, he retreated several steps. Once the snow mist dispersed, his gaze locked onto the top of the snow pit. Qingyi and the others had really dug it deep enough, leaving no room for error. At this moment, he couldn't even see the top of Lu Qinglian's head. With this kind of snow pit, either you wouldn't fall in at all, or once you did, with loose snow all around, the more you struggled, the deeper you'd sink.
But that was just theory.
Zhang Shutong silently counted several more seconds in his mind. Only when there was no more sound from the snow pit did he cautiously approach.
The cool and elegant girl from before now had her hair and face completely covered with snow. Her long hair stuck to her face—like a fairy fallen to earth, utterly disheveled.
"I'm sorry." Zhang Shutong crouched down and sighed. "Maybe you had your reasons, but no matter what, you shouldn't have made a move against Gu Qiumian."
Lu Qinglian frowned again at these words.
Then she spoke.
The woman who would be sealed in the black and white photograph eight years later seemed to reappear before his eyes:
"Zhang Shutong. You. Are not bad."
Lu Qinglian spoke word by word. Her expression didn't change, but Zhang Shutong felt a deep chill.
"Why must it be like this," he looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze. "I didn't want this either."
Actually, when facing culprits in the past—whether Li Yipeng, Zhou Ziheng, his father, or the arsonist on Commercial Street—he'd been too lazy to waste words with them.
He'd always been a direct person who only sought efficiency in his actions, so he easily overlooked others' feelings. It was impossible to trace when this personality had formed, but precisely because he was like this, at this moment he wanted to say a few more words to Lu Qinglian.
With a sense of regret.
Because the trigger for his Regression had been attending her funeral.
And because even when he returned to eight years ago, his sixteen-year-old self's first words had also been spoken to Lu Qinglian.
"Anyway, you haven't made your move yet, so I can't really do anything to you," Zhang Shutong rambled on a bit uncharacteristically. "Whatever hidden circumstances or motives you have, whoever else is involved—why not tell me everything now? Let's just pretend nothing happened. You can still go to school, and I won't threaten you."
"Threaten?" He saw Lu Qinglian say coldly, "Isn't this threatening already?"
"Can't be helped."
"How did you figure it out?" Lu Qinglian only asked.
How did he figure it out?
Whether the poisoned dog or the tattoos, they were all from the previous timeline.
It was actually somewhat tragic—even something like this required lying.
"Answer my questions first." So Zhang Shutong didn't want to explain. He didn't respond to her question. Revealing the answer—this had once been what he considered his most glorious moment.
It was hard to say there was any joy in his heart. He only wanted to take a deep breath and exhale a faint weariness.
But Lu Qinglian ignored his words too. She blinked uncomfortably, as if trying to brush the snowflakes from her eyelashes, and rapidly analyzed:
"From the moment you saw me get in the car, all your preparations were already made? Through those few friends of yours?"
"Not quite that early—when we changed clothes, I suppose." Zhang Shutong was silent for a moment. "You're too hard to control. Couldn't be helped."
"What other preparations?"
"That's it." He spread his hands. "As you can see, just a hasty preparation. I wasn't even sure it would succeed."
"Who else knows?"
"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about my suspicions of you yet. I only mentioned the unusual aspects to Qingyi, and of course, we didn't analyze much." Zhang Shutong held up three fingers. "Except that your fingers are very flexible."
"You know," he continued, "there are too many mysteries about you, but no matter how much I ask, you won't say. This was the only method I could think of."
"You're the same." The girl's expression didn't soften. The words she uttered were like blade after blade.
"We're still not quite the same." Zhang Shutong couldn't stand being watched by those cold eyes. "At least I don't have intentions to actively harm people."
"Then what is this?"
Zhang Shutong fell silent again. Honestly, he was getting a bit tired.
Interrogating someone in the ice and snow wasn't a pleasant job.
"Let's get to the point. I'll ask, you answer." Zhang Shutong said. "The Green Snake Temple, or rather, what does the green snake represent? From the several versions I currently know, some say the green snake represents immortality and hasn't died to this day, some say your temple keeper is a descendant of the green snake. I'm not sure if your fighting ability has anything to do with this... Of course, these versions are all somewhat wrong. What's the real truth?"
But Lu Qinglian kept her mouth shut.
Zhang Shutong waited a while, then asked again:
"Why do you want to harm Gu Qiumian, and why take her to the Forbi—that wasteland by the lake on the west side? Don't ask me how I know. Now it's you answering me. Also, is it just because her family wants to demolish your temple? Are there other reasons?
"Oh, and one more thing—what's the connection between those frozen snakes and you all? Transmitting information? Are they poisonous? I didn't used to believe in these things much, but it seems there really are some supernatural existences. Of course, maybe they can be explained scientifically. Some people can train dogs, so training snakes might not be impossible either, just that the methods have always been very secretive."
Zhang Shutong rattled off a whole bunch of questions, but Lu Qinglian stubbornly didn't say a single word. Now he had a bit of a headache. He'd thought she would surrender, but who knew she'd be so unyielding? And in this situation, it was guilty until proven innocent—even calling the police was impossible.
Lu Qinglian just kept staring at him, giving him the feeling of being betrayed. Of course, that might not really be what she meant. It could be that his thoughts were somewhat chaotic, flying around his ears and eyes, constantly causing trouble.
"Don't look at me like that. Want some apple?"
Zhang Shutong didn't dare extend his hand too close either. What if she grabbed it?
Who knew Lu Qinglian would finally speak:
"Any other questions?"
"Not for now." Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief. If she didn't speak again, he'd have to go find the rope and shovel Qingyi left behind. This was best. "Pick one to answer first."
"Really no more?"
"No more..."
His words weren't finished when he suddenly froze.
Although Zhang Shutong hadn't communicated much with her, strangely he could always guess what she meant. Like right now—that odd emphasis gave him an ominous premonition.
This wasn't the reaction a trapped person should have...
This thought had just risen in his mind;
Then he saw that familiar playful smile appear at the corner of Lu Qinglian's lips.
Zhang Shutong's hair instantly stood on end.
Damn it!
This was a snake!
Patient, cunning.
He'd almost forgotten he was capturing a snake!
Those eyes weren't betrayed at all—they were constantly seeking his vital points!
One strike to kill!
His eyes still couldn't judge what would happen next, but his subconscious had already reacted for him. Almost as a conditioned reflex from his muscles, Zhang Shutong immediately stood up and backed away—
But it was too late!
The girl trapped in the snow pit suddenly exploded into action!
How is this possible...
In the spray of rising snow mist, he opened his eyes wide in disbelief. Lu Qinglian hadn't fallen in at all!
When her footing had loosened earlier, she'd already reacted!
One leg thrust forward, one leg bent back—with unimaginable flexibility, she'd wedged herself in the snow pit. She'd been maintaining this posture waiting until this very moment!
Once she exerted force, she could break free at any time. And now was the moment for this snake to deliver her killing strike!
It was too late for him to run now. Sharp wind whistled in his ears. A leg leaving afterimages was rapidly closing in. He reacted as fast as he could, raising both arms to block. Even so, he still felt a tremendous force hit his chest. Then his body moved backward uncontrollably, feet stumbling, nearly leaving the ground, falling directly into the snow.
Snow sprayed everywhere. Head spinning, vision blurring. Zhang Shutong vaguely heard the woman's clear voice.
"You are quite good."
He struggled to prop up his body with difficulty. His chest burned with fiery pain. In his vision was the hem of a green robe, covered with snow foam. Looking up further, Lu Qinglian looked down at him from above.
She walked closer step by step. Her footsteps were light, yet carried incomparable oppressive force.
"Zhang Shutong." She said expressionlessly, "You're braver than I thought. I originally thought you'd keep being timid and hesitant, but you actually dug a pit in advance and successfully made me fall into it."
Zhang Shutong opened his mouth, but he couldn't speak anymore. He took several deep breaths, stopping the churning in his chest. He gasped for air heavily, coughing violently. Before his eyes was bleak daylight. He couldn't see any clouds, just like he couldn't see where any opportunity was. But all he could do now was keep his mouth tightly shut, recover his strength, and wait for the next opportunity, if...
It truly still existed.
"It seems you still don't understand." Lu Qinglian said indifferently. "I already warned you. If you don't want anything unexpected to happen, don't investigate my affairs. Why must you be so clever?"
"Forget it." She lowered her eyes. "Saying these things has no meaning now. Your current situation—I believe you were prepared for it before coming. Best not to beg for mercy. That would be very boring."
Zhang Shutong just tried hard to steady his breathing. Right now he was lying on the snow in an extremely disheveled posture. Even he himself couldn't judge his own position. He only knew that several attempts to sit up had all failed.
At the same time, his brain worked at high speed. He knew Lu Qinglian wouldn't do meaningless things. Since she hadn't been trapped at all, why did she have to stay in that pit for so long? Just to extract intelligence?
But after kicking him down, she could still...
An opportunity.
He was still looking for an opportunity.
Where exactly was it?
Sure enough, Lu Qinglian spoke calmly again:
"You're very clever, but still thought too little. More precisely, your imagination is too lacking."
"What... do you mean..." Zhang Shutong finally squeezed out a sentence through his teeth.
"It means you have no idea what you're facing.
"You ask me what the green snake represents, whether it's legend or fact, immortality or descendants. I can answer your questions one by one. Listen carefully now."
Her amber eyes flashed with cold light, emanating fierce killing intent:
"Actually, you were close to the correct answer, but what if I told you those legends are all wrong, yet also all correct?"
What does it mean to be all correct and all wrong...
An ice-cold guess suddenly surged into Zhang Shutong's heart, making him feel cold all over. Zhang Shutong had never been this shocked before, because this guess had completely exceeded his imagination, even common sense...
"That's right—"
Lu Qinglian extended three fingers. Like that day at school, with each word she spoke, she retracted one finger with a motion impossible for ordinary people to complete. Her voice was flat, pronunciation clear, deafening:
"The snake. Is. Me."
"..."
"But you discarded this guess yourselves. I remember someone asked me before." She said thoughtfully. "Why I seem so mature, not much like a sixteen-year-old peer. I'll tell you that too, since dead people keep secrets. What if I said..."
She smiled with amusement:
"I'm not the sixteen years old you think I am, but rather you should multiply that number by ten—I'm one hundred and sixty years old?"
Zhang Shutong couldn't speak anymore.
His chest burned, yet felt ice-cold. Dreamlike, illusory. At this moment, even his breathing stopped for an instant.
One hundred and sixty years old...
The snake's incarnation...
In this moment, this mysterious girl finally removed her disguise...
She wasn't human at all!
His brain simply couldn't digest this information. But Lu Qinglian didn't give him any breathing space:
"Oh right, there's also Gu Qiumian. You think you've protected her well? You think staying in the villa equals safety? You think..."
She paused, then said coldly:
"There were only two frozen snakes? They truly can't move? Remember what I told you in the car?"
Zhang Shutong instantly recalled those words.
At the same time, the girl before him also said word by word:
"Frozen snakes don't mean death. After the temperature rises, they'll recover their vitality. And now..."
She looked up at the bleak daylight, as if she'd long anticipated this, and said softly:
"It's already morning."
Morning...
Zhang Shutong thought again of the snakes he'd seen on the mountain road. Under the heavy snow lurked their densely packed frozen bodies. And now...
"You can make a phone call right now."
Zhang Shutong hurriedly took out his phone and dialed Old Mo's number. He wanted to remain calm and wait, but no matter how long he waited, what came through the phone was always a busy signal.
He dialed Gu Qiumian's next. Still the same.
He thought of a worst-case scenario.
Those snakes...
Had probably all already entered the villa.
The three people were surrounded by countless snakes, probably unable to attend to themselves.
No, this actually wasn't the worst result, because he was still betting on one possibility—whether he could return to eight years later again. He remembered that early morning Regression was like this. Zhang Shutong gritted his teeth. So all he could do next was delay. Only by dragging this out would everyone have a thread of survival. However, very soon even this guess was ruthlessly shattered, as the woman before him slowly spoke:
"Actually, the legends you mentioned got one thing wrong.
"The secret of immortality isn't molting, but eating people.
"Devouring living people."
She extended that arm with its birthmark, like a work of art, crouched down, and gently covered Zhang Shutong's eyes with her hand. The woman's voice held no ripples, as if she was accustomed to this, or perhaps consoling:
"Close your eyes. For the sake of that cup of hot water, it won't hurt."
It won't hurt...
...
Time passed for an unknown duration. On the boundless snowy plain, silence filled his ears. All he could hear was the violent sound of his heartbeat.
When Zhang Shutong opened his eyes again, the woman before him had already stood up, standing quietly beside him.
He subconsciously felt for changes in his body, but there were no changes at all. Only the pain in his chest reminded him he was still alive.
He raised his hand, looking at the lines on his palm. They had never been so clear. Zhang Shutong opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
Devoured... Am I already dead? Or is this a hallucination?
He turned his face to look at the woman before him, speechless. But then Lu Qinglian suddenly slightly curved her lips:
"Zhang Shutong-tongxue, so you can have other expressions too. Quite interesting."
"...What do you mean?"
He suddenly raised his head, but his voice was half a beat slow. He just asked dazedly.
"It means," Lu Qinglian's smile vanished instantly, her tone returning to calm, "all of that was fake."
"...Fake?"
"Mm, I made it up on the spot, based on those stories you just told. This should have reminded you," she said expressionlessly. "Some things I say are serious, some are casual. Don't scrutinize every sentence I say."
She found a hair tie from her green robe and calmly tied up her hair:
"Your imagination is even more abundant than I imagined. Or are all you boys this childish? Snake? Immortality? Molting? What other stories are there—tell me, I can share them with people who come to the temple in the future."
"You..."
Zhang Shutong was about to say something when he felt his hand lighten. Lu Qinglian had taken the bag of apples. She nonchalantly opened the bag, pinched a piece of fruit, placed it in her small mouth, and slowly chewed. Though still expressionless:
"I've reminded you several times not to suspect me. Although I don't know why you'd think I'm the culprit, this despicable behavior of silently digging pits for people troubles me greatly. I figured even if I tried to explain properly you wouldn't believe me, so I had no choice but to take some measures. Please forgive me."
"...What about Gu Qiumian?"
"Her? I'm not sure. Right now she should be at home. Oh right, the snakes were also a lie. Actually there are no more than ten, and they're basically beyond saving." Lu Qinglian said lightly again. "Looking at you now, you want to ask me why you can't get through on the phone, right?"
Zhang Shutong subconsciously nodded.
"Because there's no signal here."
"..."
He stared in disbelief at the girl eating apples before him, confirming again:
"All of it was lies?"
"Yes."
"You're not some snake?"
"Of course not."
"One hundred and sixty years old?"
"Only sixteen years old, the same age as you."
"Then your fingers?"
"Specially trained."
"Then why were you in my family's car today?"
"I really did have business with you. Actually, even if I hadn't run into your mother, I would have gone to your house. Didn't expect such a coincidence."
"Then why did you put your hand on her headrest..."
"Because it's the suburbs, the car was bumpy. I needed to find something to hold onto."
"Why not grab the overhead handle?"
"Handle, steering wheel?" The girl tilted her head. One side of her cheek bulged from the fruit. She said in confusion, "What's that? I've only ridden in Teacher Song's car. I don't understand what you're talking about."
Fine, she didn't even have a bicycle. She might really not know what an overhead handle was.
This didn't seem like lying.
"Why are you fixating on these details?"
He didn't have the nerve to say: I was worried you'd twist my mom's neck off.
Zhang Shutong's heart was a jumble of emotions.
He deflated and lay on the ground. The back of his head hurt again. In his ears remained only the girl's crisp and rhythmic chewing sounds.
Zhang Shutong gasped for breath:
"Since it was all fake, that kick was damn hard."
"You suddenly tricked me into that pit. My foot is sprained. I'll probably have trouble walking. An eye for an eye—this is normal." Lu Qinglian returned to her light tone. "Besides, I deliberately held back. You should know what happened to that poacher. Otherwise you wouldn't still be conscious and able to talk."
He struggled to lift his head and look. Only then did he notice the girl was indeed lightly lifting one foot. From her hair to her clothes, everything was covered in snow. In terms of dishevelment, she wasn't much better off than him.
"I'm sorry." Zhang Shutong felt deeply guilty.
"I've already vented. It's fine." She nodded lightly and casually.
"So you were lying to me from start to finish?"
"No, actually before you suddenly turned and ran, I was planning to have a serious talk with you."
"Then why didn't you say so in the car earlier?"
"Are you sure you want your mother to know about these things?"
Lu Qinglian said indifferently:
"If you have no problem with it, I don't mind. Also, I said before—if you want honesty, show the corresponding attitude. I already asked you on the rooftop yesterday. But you concealed things then.
"You might as well have voiced all your suspicions at that time. That would have been better for everyone."
Zhang Shutong felt his face heat up. Because of that photograph, and those three tattoos, his attitude toward Lu Qinglian had always been one of suspicion.
But from her perspective, his suspicions were basically groundless, like a madman's, without any basis.
Zhang Shutong even thought her temper was already pretty good.
But what followed was deep bewilderment:
If Lu Qinglian wasn't the culprit...
Then what did those tattoos mean?
Had he guessed everything wrong?
There seemed to be some deep misunderstanding between them, but Zhang Shutong couldn't figure it out for the moment.
"Alright, now it's my turn to ask."
Lu Qinglian pinched another piece of apple. She ate pretty quickly, squinting those peach-blossom eyes:
"I've been wondering about something. Your attitude was fine yesterday. If my understanding of you isn't wrong, then why did seeing me today suddenly make you look scared, even somewhat triggered? Have I done something to you?"
"This is also what I want to ask..."
He finally felt his breathing had evened out. He rolled over in the snow and shakily stood up:
"Why did you go to that wasteland on the west side last night, crouching by the shore? And when you saw me, you suddenly ran off?"
Who knew that at these words, the chewing sound would suddenly stop.
In his vision, he saw the girl named Lu Qinglian deeply furrow her brow. Those eyes looked into his with exceptional focus:
"Zhang Shutong, what I'm about to say is serious. Now I can tell you responsibly—
"I never went there last night."
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